Letter: Be wary of China

By Dai Kai Feng

Recently, both the domestic and foreign media reported how Chinese paramilitary police shot dead a number of villagers during protests over the government's compulsory confiscation of land in Dongzhou, Guangdong Province.

Because of different opinions over the death toll, the riot grabbed the attention of the international community. The shootings show the vicious nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), that party that claims China is "peacefully rising" on one hand, but in order to maintain its rule, resorts to armed force when suppressing its own people on the other.

Before the Dongzhou incident, some people still fostered the illusion that China would change as its economy booms. As recently as last month, US President George W. Bush prodded Beijing to emulate Taiwan and create a free Chinese society.

On Oct. 19, China's State Council issued a white paper entitled Building Political Democracy in China, which put special emphasis on its "present political and democratic achievements." The real purpose, however, was to cover up any domestic controversy by, as the report put it, "establishing a harmonious society."

However, according to recent statistics from Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, there were more than 74,000 protests in China last year. These figures reveal that democratic consciousness is rooted in the minds of Chinese people and is on the rise. Nevertheless, the white paper has only one aim: promoting the interests of the CCP above everything else. Their "social democracy with Chinese characteristics" is, in fact, nothing but an excuse for a one-party autocracy. This violates modern democratic values.

Therefore, everyone should be wary of the current situation in China, as violent clashes may eventually lead to unrest on a nationwide scale and greatly weaken the government's legitimacy. To reduce domestic pressure, China then might manufacture an "external crisis" such as a conflict or a war.

Also, the people of Taiwan should be aware of the heinous crime committed by Chinese officials in slaughtering their own people and expose all the abuses of the CCP. From what we have seen of the killing of protesters, we can only hope that the Chinese government eventually reforms its political system. Or maybe one day the Chinese people will demonstrate their united power and topple their tyrannical government.